6/12

I woke up sometime close to noon and groaned. I did my daily routine and opened my phone to see Yusuke told the group he left Leblanc and went back to the dorms. He also said he left "Sayuri" in Leblanc. I decided to eat some breakfast before deciding to step outside for today.

I went to Shibuya and went to the underground mall where I saw Ann there. She noticed me and smiled.

Ann:"Hey (Y/n)! Are you here to shop today, too!"

"Not really. I was just here to look around. What about you?"

Ann:"I'm actually in the mood for something sweet... What about you?"

"I could probably go for something sweet right now, too."

Ann:"Great! Let's go get crêpes!"

She and I went over to the crépe shop, but it seemed as if they didn't have what she wanted.

Ann: *sigh* "Looks like they're not doing their famous double chocolate crêpes today... I have the worst luck..."

Her phone then went off.

Ann:"Oh, an email. Looks like it's from the agency. I wonder what they could want... Huh...? Mika?! At Skytree...? Where's that!? They want me to head over for a shoot now... feels pretty familiar, doesn't it? Basically, this men's magazine is running a Mika special to try and capitalize on her recent popularity. But apparently, she asked for me specifically to star alongside her for the shoot... I wonder why..."

"She probably admires you."

Ann:"H-huh?! So you think what she said earlier was the truth?! Hold on though... Why would you trick someone you admire? Well, I guess I won't know what she wants unless I head over! Have you been to Skytree before? How do you get there...?"

Before I could even answer, she spoke up again.

Ann:"Oh, and... c-can you come with me? Actually, I've already decided for you. You're going. Come on!"

I just chuckled awkwardly before we walked back to the station and boarded a train that would take us there.

Ann:"Alright, we made it! Wait, where's Mika?"

Right on cue, Mika walked over to us.

Mika:"Oh, so you came for my special."

Ann:"You asked for me, right? Wow... I barely recognize you. Did you lose weight? Or maybe change your makeup?"

Mika:"The theme for today's shoot is "the elegance of woman." So, I conditioned my body to be more elegant."

Ann:"Wh-What do you mean?"

Mika:"Controlling what you eat, how you move... That's all. It may sound easy, but it's pretty tough. You have to write down everything you eat, making sure to check the nutritional and caloric content. I even hired a personal trainer to take special note of my diet and oversee my exercise regimen."

Ann:"Whoa... That's amazing! Does that mean you don't get to eat double chocolate crêpes?"

That question seemed to piss Mika off.

Mika:"Of course I don't! I'd get fat with just one bit of that stuff! Not to mention the other stuff I do! I take herbal medication, wear warming socks, do pilates and yoga... Day after day... How many squats do you think I do in a week?! Ugh, natural beauty like you could never understand how much work I put into my modeling!"

Ann:"You know, it's kinda embarrassing getting complimented like that..."

Mika:"Sorry, did I say natural beauty? What I meant was natural airhead."

Oh no...

Ann:"Who're you calling an airhead!?"

Mika:"Eeek! Ann-senpai, stop iiit! You're scaring meee!"

A cameraman voiced out his concern for Mika as another commented on how cat fights can be scary. Mika stuck her tongue at Ann, who just growled lightly at her before she went off to get dressed for the shoot. They started taking pictures, but it turned out Mika didn't actually look up to Ann and berated her for being an amateur, so we returned back to the mall.

Ann:"Why did Mika ask for me...?"

"To show you up, it seems."

Ann:"I see... Then she was just trying to be mean... If that's the case, I probably deserved everything she did...."

"Cheer up, Ann."

Ann:"I'm... I'm so pissed off! Mika had to work super hard every day to get where she is now. She worked out, watched her diet, made friends with everyone...! She couldn't rely on connections like I did... She didn't become a model just for the heck of it. Her resolve, her knowledge, her fashion sense... They're all on a totally different level from me! Mika is amazing. Mika is... Mika is strong! But me? I'm nothing! Just thinking about that makes me so angry... I feel like I could explode!"

Ann's really going off!

Ann:"This whole time, I've just been pretending to model. It was like the clothes were wearing me... I mean, that's what I always thought being a model meant! But I was totally wrong. A real model draws out the beauty of the clothes they wear... casts a stunning magic on them... A real model is flexible, beautiful... and strong. Well, I've had enough pretending! I want to be a real model...!"

"Go get 'em, tiger."

Ann:"Right! I'll give it my all! I'm gonna take the world by storm... Just you watch, (Y/n)!"

We soon parted ways, and when I reached my front door, Ann called me.

"Yo."

Ann:"(Y/n)? It's me! I've been so pissed since I left! I can't help it! Well I'll say it again! I'm taking the modeling world by storm, and I don't care what I have to do to get there! Obviously that means dieting, cutting back on food, and no matter how tough it is, I'll do any workout!"

"You got this."

Ann:"Yup! I'm so sick of feeling how I did today! This is a first for me, actually. Feeling this pissed off, I mean. Usually, even if I have a crappy day, I just get over it by having snacks, watching TV, and sleeping it off. But this time, it's different... I want to change. Tomorrow, I want to be better than I am today. Okay, gotta start my stretching session! I'll talk to you later. Bye-bye!"

I went inside and decided to work out at home.

6/13

In class, the teacher asked if I knew what would happen if you washed your hair copper, and the answer is it would turn green.

After school

I groaned and stretched before getting out of my seat.

Kawakami:"Oh good, you're still here."

"Ms. Kawakami?"

Kawakami:"Niijima-san's looking for you. Could you head to the student council room right away? She says there's no report of a lost item, so she wants you to start filling out some paperwork."

"What the hell...? Alright, fine..."

I got out of my seat and trudged my way up to the third floor. The student council room was next to the library, so I knew where to go. I slid the door open and stepped inside.

Makoto:"Ah. Earlier than expected. Have a seat."

I just decided to listen to her and sat down across from her.

Makoto:"I'll get straight to the point. Mr. Kamoshida and Madarame. Won't you tell me the truth behind the Phantom Thieves' incidents?"

"Excuse me?"

Makoto:"Can't answer that? Ah, of course. There's no way you would admit to such things. Have a listen."

She grabbed her phone and played a recording.

Ryuji:"If someone else could help 'em, we wouldn't be doin' stuff as the Phantom Thieves to start with!"

Ryuji...

Ann:"So you think it's true? We'll be okay if we keep doing this... right?"

Ann, too?!

Makoto:"What could all this mean?"

Shiiiittt...

Makoto:"Was it blackmail? Hypnosis? How do you corner someone into making them confess? Won't you tell me how you did it?"

"Why don't you try asking the culprits?"

Makoto:"You want to say that this doesn't prove anything, don't you? I believe that you three and Amamiya-kun are the Phantom Thieves. Now, what would the police think if they heard my recording?"

Dammit! It'd be bad if we were put under police surveillance. Plus, Ren's on probation, so there's no telling what could happen to him...

Makoto:"If you confess the truth, I don't mind just leaving this between the two of us... You'll tell me, won't you?"

"..."

Makoto:"That's the same as admitting to it, you know."

My phone started ringing, so I grabbed it and saw that it was Ryuji calling.

Seriously?! Now of all times?!

Makoto:"Go ahead."

I scowled before answering the call.

Ryuji:"Hey, where you at? Takin' a leak? Haha! Let's meet up at the usual spot to hold our Phantom Thieves meetin'! We'll be waitin' for you, boss man!"

Ryuji... God dammit...

He hung up, and I put my phone away.

Makoto:"As loud as always... but the timing's perfect. I'd like everyone else to hear this as well. Won't you take me to your friends?"

There's nothing else I can do... "Fine..."

I got up and grabbed my bag.

Makoto:"Excellent."

With no other choice, I had to escort Niijima-senpai to our hideout.

Yusuke:"Oh..."

Ryuji:"Hm? He here?"

Ren:"Not only him..."

Niijima-senpai and I walked over to the four of them as I looked away in shame.

Ryuji:"Wh-What the hell?"

Ann:"What's the meaning of this?"

Makoto:"I had him lead me here. Ryuji Sakamoto, Ann Takamaki, Ren Amamiya... And you're Kitagawa-kun, correct? Second year at Kosei High and former pupil of Madarame? I wanted to ask you all about this."

She then replayed the recordings of Ryuji's and Ann's voices.

Makoto:"An extremely similar technique was used for both Kamoshida and Madarame... While those affected by their acts were just coincidentally meeting up... How could that not raise suspicions?"

Yusuke:"What do you intend to do? Have you come just to say you're going to report us?"

"She probably was sent out to find us. The school's reputation needs to be squeaky clean, after all!"

Ann:"My thoughts exactly! And yet they turn a blind eye when it comes to suicide and sexyal harassment. Those adults are just using you. I feel sorry for you."

Makoto:"I... I know..."

Ann:"Huh?"

Makoto:"That's why I would like to verify the justice you speak of."

This took us all by surprise.

Ryuji:"What?"

Makoto:"I'm the only one who knows about you. If you prove what you're doing is just, I'll erase this."

Morgana:"She wants to make a deal..."

Makoto:"There is someone whose heart I'd like you to change."

Yusuke:"Who?"

Makoto:"Hm, so you're not saying it's impossible. However... I cannot tell you that just yet. Let's continue our talk after school tomorrow. On the roof. Assuming you accept my offer, that is."

She then walked away from us.

"What a pain in the ass..."

We all gathered in a diner to talk over what went down.

Yusuke:"You were careless. I don't think you truly understood how high the stakes were. Anything to say, Ryuji?"

Ryuji:"Why're you singlin' me out?! Ann got recorded too, y'know!"

Ann:"I'm so sorry..."

Ryuji:"Hey, what should we do? That girl's got dirt on us..."

Yusuke:"A recording seems to be insufficient evidence though. And even with that, there's no way they could prove out methods."

Ann:"Considering who we're dealing with, I think it might be a trap."

"Doesn't matter. Ren would be in real trouble. Guy's on probation, after all."

Ryuji:"Things would get rough if we didn't have our leader... (Y/n) would be there, though..."

"I mean, if we get caught, I might get a worse sentence since I'm vice leader. Either way, it's not gonna be pretty."

Yusuke:"Then... we have no other choice but to go along with it."

Morgana:"Yes, it's best we agree, at least for the time being. We made a crucial mistake... but not a critical one. We'll just have to recover from here on out."

Ryuji:"Yeah, yeah. My bad. So... we doin' this?"

Ren looked over at me, and I sighed.

"Kinda have to..."

Ren:"Right. It's our only choice."

Ryuji:"Alright. We're meetin' on the school rooftop tomorrow, yeah?"

Yusuke:"What about me? I could always sneak in if necessary."

Ann:"That'll draw too much attention. You should just wait outside, Yusuke. What could she be scheming?"

We all went home and since it was raining, I decided to study just to take my mind off things. As I did, though, Ren texted me saying he played billiards with Akechi.

6/14

After school, we went up to the rooftop to talk with Niijima-senpai.

Makoto:"I was thinking you might not show."

Ann:"So, whose heart do you want us to change?"

Makoto:"A mafia boss."

Ann:"Mafia?!"

Ryuji:"What're you talkin' about?!"

Makoto:"That's what they call themselves. This group seems to be the cause of the rise of phishing scams. What's worse, once you're in their sights, they won't stop threatening you until they get what they want. They'll force you to take part in their scams, threaten your family, and ultimately destroy your life."

Ryuji:"Holy shit..."

Makoto:"It appears that their victims include some of our students."

"No way..."

Makoto:"They primarily target juveniles."

"What's their boss's name?"

Makoto:"Nobody knows. The victims are being threatened not to testify, so even the police can't get a grasp of the situation."

Ann:"That's where you want us to start?!"

Makoto:"You should be able to pull it off... if you're really the righteous Phantom Thieves. Or is Akechi-kun correct when he says you act without justice?"

Morgana:"Can't you say something witty back at her?"

"Can't you get yourself a hobby that isn't dogging on us?"

Makoto:"Hm."

Morgana:"I guess that'll work..."

"Just give us the details."

Makoto:"Their main hub of activity is in Shibuya... That's all the information I have. You have two weeks. Once that is passed, I'll submit all the evidence I have to the police and to the school. I hope you don't let me down..."

With that, she walked away and left us on the roof.

Morgana:"She really had the upper hand in that exchange..."

Ryuji:"Don't let me down"... Dammit, she was just bossin' us around!"

"Let's get in touch with Yusuke and let him know our next move."

We left and gathered at the hideout to discuss what just went down.

Ann:"Urgh... I'm so mad!"

Yusuke:"The mafia? Hm..."

Ann:"Can we really do this?"

Ryuji:"..."

Morgana:"Either way, we have almost no information on our target. This guy's a crime boss, so I wouldn't be surprised if he had a Palace. Still..."

Yusuke:"Isn't this a prime opportunity for us though?"

Ann:"How?! We're in huge trouble!"

Yusuke:"Even after we punished an evil man who seemed to be good, the public did not acknowledge us. However, if we take down an actual criminal, let alone a target the police don't have answers for..."

Ann:"Oh, right! That might make people believe in us!"

Ryuji:"I get it! That means even Akechi'll have to acknowledge us as the Phantom Thieves! Whaddya say, captains?"

"This is our chance to..."

Ren:"...Prove our justice."

Ryuji:"Hell yeah! We just gotta do what we always do!"

Yusuke:"Our time limit is two weeks, correct? We can't afford to waste too much time. I'll ask around Kosei and see if there are any victims."

Ann:"Okay, I know some girls who to Shibuya pretty often. I'll check with them about it."

Ryuji:"Alright, and I'm gonna see what I can find on the net. That leaves our school up to you two and Morgana. You figured out what to do during the whole Kamoshida thing, right?"

Ren:"Yep."

"We got this. Let's get back together at the end of the week once we've got all our info."

They all nodded, and so we split off to do our things. Ren and Yusuke, however, hung back. Yusuke told me that they were going to Leblanc so he could see "Sayuri" again. I nodded at them and went home. It was raining in the evening so I decided to stay indoors and found a magazine all about Chinatown.

6/15

Ren and I got seats on the train, and both luckily had a book to read this time. In class, I got asked to answer today's question. I was asked between paper bills and coins, which one was issued by the government. The answer was coins.

After school, Ann was asking this guy, Iida, about a part-time job he's been doing. He mentioned a person named Nishiyama, so Ren and I went to go look for him. We asked a student from the newspaper club, and she said he always hangs out in the library after school. We rushed there and questioned him. Turns out Iida's part-time job involved a small envelope and delivering it to people. I came to the conclusion that he was smuggling drugs, and my theory was correct.

After interrogating Iida himself, we learned that a guy in Central Street will be the one asking if teens want a part-time job. This was our lead, but the sun was starting to set, so we decided to check it out tomorrow. When I got home, Ryuji asked who would be the one to go to Central Street. I volunteered, and Ren said he'd go with me.

I looked around my house before grabbing my umbrella and walking outside to the public phone, and called Kawakami. Soon enough, she got here, and I was waiting in the living room patiently.

Kawakami:"Are you serious? I told you the story about my sick little sister was a lie... You know you're being used for money... and you still request me?"

"Who's the Master here?"

Kawakami:"Well, I am thankful that you're requesting me, but... You really are one strange kid... I'm a mediocre teacher and a mediocre maid... And yet, you listen to everything I have to say... You're the complete opposite of me. I don't even properly attend to my students' needs."

She let out a heavy sigh before sitting next to me.

Kawakami:"The money is actually... An "apology." There was a student named Takase at the school I taught at before Shuji. Takase-kun was considered a problem child, since he had the lowest grades and skipped school a lot. So I was put in charge of guiding him... or rather, pushing him to transfer to another school. But when I got to know him, I realized that he wasn't a problem child after all. In fact, he was working several part-time jobs so he could cover his living expenses."

That poor kid...

Kawakami:"His relatives took him in when his parents died, so he had to make money to support himself. He couldn't attend school every day, but he was motivated to study. That's why I decided to tutor him. After I started working with him, his grades started to improve, slowly but surely. But I was told that it was wrong to only help certain students and not others... Then a strange rumor about him being a juvenile delinquent began to circulate. And on top of that, I got called into the principal's office... He threatened me... saying that I'd be dismissed if I continued to tutor Takase-kun."

"That's just awful..."

Kawakami:"Yeah... But you could say the same about me. I got scared... of losing my job, and of having rumors spread about me. So... I canceled our upcoming tutoring sessions... Takase-kun was on his way to one of his part-time jobs when I told him... Out of all days, it was New Year's Eve, and it had been pouring rain all day... And... he died in a car crash."

My eyes widened upon hearing this.

Kawakami:"He sounded so depressed when I told him that I couldn't tutor him anymore... But then he said it was no big deal because he had to work anyway, so I wouldn't feel bad. If only I had kept my promise to him..."

"It's no one's fault."

Kawakami:"Takase-kun was exhausted from the tutoring sessions and working at all his part-time jobs... His guardians blamed me for the accident, saying it was all my fault that he was so tired... They said that they were going to sue me and take the issue to the media and Board of Education. I wouldn't have been accused of a crime, but if word had gotten out, the school would've been done for. I wanted to continue teaching, no matter what. So I ended up paying them the "apology" money so they wouldn't sue me or say anything."

"You okay with that?"

Kawakami:"It was my indecisiveness that backed him into a corner, and I blame myself every day. I know paying them isn't going to bring him back, but it's the only way I can atone for my sins. It seems like his guardians are satisfied with our arrangement, so..."

She glanced away before getting off the couch.

Kawakami:"See? Nothing good ever comes from getting involved with me. I have to keep my distance to avoid hurting others, so I don't meddle in my students' lives. I've been coming here because of a random twist of fate, but we should say goodbye as well."

"It's too late now."

Kawakami:"(L/n)-kun... You're really not the type to back down, are you? Haha... I guess we're in this together, now that I told you the whole story, right? Yeah. I'll see what I can do about the other teachers so you get free periods with them, too. I look forward to continuing our relationship."

I smiled and nodded softly.

Kawakami:"All righty, time to clean. I'm going to put more energy into it than usual today!"

She started to clean up the living room, and she did a pretty good job and even went into the kitchen to clean up a bit too. She then left. I retreated to my room as Kawakami called me.

Kawakami:"Hey, when I was cleaning your kitchen I noticed you had some tortillas. What do you use them for?"

"Oh, chicken quesadillas. You want some?"

Kawakami:"Ooh, then I can serve it to you. Imagine it was cooked by your own maid, with lots of love... Okay, that was a joke, but... God, I could really go for some of that right now."

She then hung up a bit after.

To Be Continued...